Pneumatic conveyer



No. 750,356. PATENTED JAN. 26, 1904.

M. J. POY ER.

PNEUMATIC GONVEYER.

' APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 6, 1900. no MODEL. asnnms-snnm 1k mwzmrmd PATENTED JAN. 26, 1904.

M. J. FOYER.

PNEUMATIC GONVEYER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 6. 1900..

3 SHBETSSHEET 2.

no MODEL.

IIIIII/A v l/ Z I ll Tn: NORRlS nrrzas co. PNOTO-LITHOH wAsmNm'om u. a.

No. 750,356. PATENTED JAN. 2s,-1,9o4.. M. J. FOYER. PNEUMATIC GONVEYER.

APPLIGATION FILED JUNE 6, 1900. N0 MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 u: NORRIS PETERS co, mom-urns. wAsnwn'ron, u c

7 UNITED STATES Patented January 26, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

MELVIN J. FOYER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO BOSTEDO PNEUMATIC TUBE COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLI- NOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

PNEUMATIC CONVEYER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 750,356, dated January 26,1904.

7 Application fileddime 6, 1900. Serial No. 19,215. (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MELVIN J. FoYER,of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Conveyers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and eXact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My'invention relates particularly to an improvement in pneumatic conveying apparatus for use in stores or similar places for conveying cash-carriers to and fro between a central cashiers desk and outlying salesmens stations. The apparatus may be used, however, for conveying parcels of any description and in any location within the limits of practicability,

My object is to provide apparatus of this character which can be more cheaply operated than any heretofore known, the time of the operator and character of the service being taken into consideration.

The accompanying drawings illustrate one practical embodiment of the several features of my invention. embracing a series of outgoing or distributingtubes which lead to the several salesmens stations connected with a given cashiers desk and but one return or collecting tube leading to the cashiers desk. The distributing-tube for the farthest outlying station is in circuit with the collectingtnbe. The distributing-tubes connect with the highpressure or plenum side of a pressure-supplying mechanism such as an air-compressor or, preferably, a rotary blowerand the collectin gpipe with the low-pressure or vacuum side thereof. Certain valves are supplied for momentarily admitting atmospheric pressure to the collecting-tube to convey carriers from the outlying stations, and other valves are supplied for admitting compressed air to the distributing-tubes. These valvesare provided with time-regulators for controlling their clos ing movements, the pressure being admitted only suificiently long to move the carrier quickly to its destination. It thus appears that in the preferred form of the apparatus illustrated the collecting-tube isnormallyunder suction adjacent to its delivery end, while the distributing-tubes are normally supplied with pressure adjacent to their despatching ends. This enables the cashier to use compressed air to send the carriers out, while it enables the several salesmen to use atmospheric pressure to send the carriers to the cashier.

I In the said drawings, which illustrate my invention in its preferred embodiment, Figure 1 is a view diagrammatic in its nature, showing a central or cashiers station and several outlying or salesmens stations and the manner of connecting the tubes; Fig. 2, adetail of a valve and a time-regulator therefor for use at an intermediate salesmans station; Fig. 3, a detail of the valve employed where a closed delivery end is desired; Fig. 4, a detail of the valve employed between the charging or despatching end of a distributing-tube and the point of admission of compressed air to said tube; Fig. 5, a detail of a gate-valve employed in connection with the distributingtubes for preventing escape of compressed air except when propellingcarriers, and Fig. 6 a plan section on line 6 6 of Fig. 5.

A represents a rotary blower, the blast or high-pressure side of which communicates with a compressed-air pipe B and the suction or low-pressure side of which communicates with a low-pressure pipe C. Where the type of blower shown is employed, a check-valve a may be used, if desired. The blowershown may be replaced, however, by any other type of blower, such as the well-known doublehead positive rotary blower, which is of such construction as to prevent a backward flow of air when the machine is held at a standstill.

D E F represent a series of distributingtubes having their charging ends supplied with doors D E F, controlled in closing by timeregulators D E F. Valve-casings D" E F are interposed in the course of their respective tubes, and these are joined at their upper or outer portions by supply-pipes D E* F with the compressed-air pipe B and at their lower along the course of which are located sales mens stations H H H It will be understood that the collecting-tube is shown disproportionately short. At these stations the tube G is supplied with doors I I I connected with time-regulators J J J At the station H the door 1 serves also as a time-valve, while at the stations H and H the regulators are connected with time-valves K K, applied to the tube D. When the doors I I are thrown open, the time-regulators J J are thereby set and the valves K K are thrown open by the quick movements of the pistons of said regulators in one direction and controlled in closing by the comparatively slow movement thereof in the opposite direction, the doors themselves being quickly closed. At the station H the door I is regulated in its closing action by the time-regulator J At the station H the delivery end of the tube D is supplied with a valve-casing L, the inner or upper end of which is joined by a branch pipe L to the pipe G, adjacent to its despatching end near the cashiers station, which is denoted by M and within reach of which are located the charging or despatching ends of. the distributing-tubes. The tube G is supplied with a valve-casing (indicated by the letter L which is similar to the valve-casing and contained valve at station H A detail of this lastnamed valve-casing appears in Fig. 3, showing it equipped with a valve L which seats inwardly or toward the main part of the tube G or away from its discharge end, and opens outwardly or toward such discharge end. An exhaust or suction pipe N connects the upper part of said casing with the low-pressure pipe C. It is evident that when a carrier arrives at either of the stations M and H it will shoot past the branch pipe of the valve-casing there at and be delivered to the attendant.

A detail of the casing D (casings E F being similar thereto) appears in Fig. 4:, showing the lower section of the tube D extending into the casing and provided with slots 5, affording air-passages, and the extreme upper end of said tube-section left imperforate and affording a valve-seat Z) for a combined valve and door Z2 which seats outwardly or toward the despatching end of the tube D and opens inwardly or toward the main or conveying part of said tube. The detail further shows the lower end of the upper tube-section extending into the casing and slotted and expanded to form a guide for conducting the carrier smoothly past the junction with the pipe D. It will be understood that the pipe D being under suction a carrier inserted through the door D will be carried upward by atmosgate valves D E F.

pheric pressure with enough force to acquire sufficient momentum to cause it to pass the valve 6 and enter the path of a blast from the pipe D".

A detail of the door I, regulator J, and valve K is shown in Fig. 2. All the regulators employed are similar to the regulator there shown.

P represents a piston supplied with perforations 0 and moving within a closed casing. The piston is rigid with a piston-rod a, one end of which is connected by a link 0 with the valve K and the opposite end of which is connected by a link 0 with the door I. The link 0 is provided with a slot 0*, engaging a pin 0 on-said door. Between the piston and one end of the casing is confined a spring 0, and on the opposite side of the piston is a movable washer or valve-disk 0. The casing contains oil, air, or other fluid, which when the piston is moved against its spring passes readily through the perforations 0, but in the return movement is caused to pass through a channel 0 the size of which is regulated by a set-screw 0. The door I is pivoted at (Z and with a spring d for closing it quickly. The valve K is pivoted at e, and adjacent to said valve is an outwardly-seating check-valve e, the purpose of which is to prevent escape of air from the tube D under any possible working conditions while the admission-valve D is open.

The construction at station H is exactly like that described at station H.

The construction at station H has been partially described. The combined door and valve 1 is pivoted at f and when opened acts through an arm f and link f on the piston-rod 0 of the regulator J (similar to regulator J.)

At station M the doors D E F act also as time-valves, being connected to the regulators in the same manner as has been described with reference to door 1 Here, however, the piston-rods c of the regulators are connected at their ends opposite the doors with the slide or A detail of one of those valves is shown in Figs. 5 and 6, showing a guide 9 for the valve to move in, as it is withdrawn. The time-regulators are shown attached to r the several adjacent tubes by bracket-arms Q.

In Fig. 1 a pipe C is shown in communication with the low-pressure pipe 0. It is supplied with a diaphragm G which connects by link-and-lever mechanism or by any other suitable device with the governor of the engine or motor which runs the fan. As the pressure is lessened in the pipe 0, or at the low-pressure side of the fan, the action of this mechanism is to so affect the governor as to cause the motor to slacken its speed; but when air is admitted to the said low-pressure side, as will occur when one of the despatchingdoors is opened, the speed of the motor and IIO the fan will be increased, so as to give an ample supply of air to transmit the carrier to its destination. An inwardlyopening valve C is provided, which opens to admit air to the pipe C in case the motor slackens its speed too much. A relief-valve for the high-pressure pipe C may be'provided, none being shown.

It is to be noted that the same general principle or mode of operation obtains in the operation of the speed-regulating device for the air-compressor when the same is operating in connection with the distributing-tube as when operating in connection with the collectingtube. This will be made plain from consideration of the fact that the collecting-tube Gr will be normally closed to the admission of air, and whena carrier is sent through the same as, for instance, by being inserted through the door I air will flow through said tube only during the time that the door I remains open and the said carrier is passing through said tube. Access of air through the delivery end of the tube Gto the exhaust-pipe N will be prevented by the valve L so that the speedregulator will act to increase the speed of the compressor only during the time that the air is flowing through said collecting-tube. Similarly, with respect to the parts of the distributing-tube D, adjacent to its despatching end, air will be drawn through the part of said tube between the despatching-door D and the valve-casing D when said door is open, and any flow of air to the exhaust-tube E except through said door is prevented by the valve 6 in the casing D In the case of a distributing-tube, however, an additional and further effect is produced for the reason that the opening of a door, as D, not only admits air to the low-pressure side of the compressor for the purpose of carrying the carrier from the admission-door to the valve-casing D but said door remains open long enough to convey the carrier to its destination, it being obvious that during the passage of the carrier through the main part of the tube D air entering the despatching-door D passes through the exhaust-pipe D to the exhaust side of the compressor and then passes from the compressor through the air-supply pipe to the tube D. In other words, the admission-door D controls not only the supply of air to the lowpressure side of the compressor, but also the air supplied from the same to the air-supp] y pipe D", because unless the air be admitted to the low pressure side of the compressor through the door D there is no source of airsupply for sending the carrier through the distributing-tube. It follows from the above that in the case of both of the collecting-pipe and the distributing-pipe the speed-regulator applied to the low-pressure side of the compressor has the effect of increasing the speed of the compressor to give the required supply of air during the time of the. passage of the carrier through the conveying-tube, while insuring a cessation of the flow of air through the conveying-tube and a minimum speed in the motor which drives the compressor at times when there is no carrier being transmitted.

The operation has been indicated in the above description. It may be summarized thus: Under the action of the fan air is transferred from the pipe C and accumulates in the pipe B. The charging ends of the tubes D, E, and F are normally at low pressure owing to their communication through the pipes D, E, F with the low-pressure pipe (3. When therefore the door F, for example, is opened, and simultaneously therewith the valve F and the carrier is inserted into the charging end of the tube, the carrier is forced inward by atmospheric pressure, gaining sufficient momentum to carry it past the valve at F and into the path of the highpressure current from the pipe F, by which it is carried to station H. Similarly, carriers inserted at E and D are carried to stations H and H respectively. At the latter station the discharge is past the valve at L, as described;

As stated, the collecting-tube G is normally at low pressure through connection with the pipe C. When, therefore, a carrier is introduced through either of the doors I, I, and 1 it is carried by atmospheric pressure to station M, discharging through the valve L A valve K or K or door I, as the case may be, is held open long enough for the carrier to reach its destination. With the arrangement of tubes shown it is obvious that the portion of the distributing-tube D outlying beyond the station H is utilized for supplying air to the collecting-tube G during the time that a carrier inserted at station H is passed to station M. In performing this function said portion of the pipe D acts virtually as an inward or backward extension of the collecting-tube.

The feature of introducing 01' feeding carriers into a tube by means giving to the carriers an initial impulse suflicient to carry them past a valve and into the course of a compressed-air current by which they are conveyed to their destination is herein broadly the period of closing of the admission-doors and air-valves operating independently of the air-pressure or means for producing alr-pressure in the apparatus, such mdependent timemotor which drives the aircompressor.

controlling means having the advantage that by its use a number of carriers may be despatched through the tubes one after another at close intervals and without awaiting the discharge of one carrier from the tube before another is inserted, it being obvious that if the despatching-door in either the distributing or collecting tube be partially closed it may be reopened at any point in its closing movement and another carrier inserted after the one previously inserted, the air pressure or suction, as the case may be, continuing until the carrier last inserted has reached its destination.

An important advantage is gained in a pneumatic conveyer of the kind herein illustrated by the employment of pressure-actuated controlling means for governing the action of the This Will be understood by consideration of the fact that in the apparatus described when no carriers are being sent in either direction through the distributing or collecting tube access of air to said tubes is prevented by the valves applied to said tubes, so that the aircompressor and motor driving it, while continued in operation, will be doing little or no work and will require the use of power only suflicient to keep them in motion. As soon, however, as the air is admitted at the suction side of the compressor additional power is immediately applied to the compressor, and the speed of the same is increased in accordance with the work to be done or, in other words, in accordance with the number of carriers being sent at any one time through the system and the distance which they travel. It follows that a minimum of power is expended when no carriers are being sent, that when one carrier is sent through the system only enough power is required to drive that carrier, and the expenditure of power will cease as soon as the carrier reaches its destination, and that when a large number of carriers are being transmitted simultaneously through the diflerent parts of the system, then the amount of power used will correspond exactly with the requirements of the carriers to be transmitted. It follows that in the use of electricity as a motive power the quantity of current used will correspond exactly with the number of carriers transmitted and the distances through which they travel, and similarly in the use of a steam-engine, gas-engine, or any other source of power the power expended will only be that required for transmitting the carriers, and substantially no power will be expended in moving air-currents when no carriers are in transit.

"Changes in details of construction may be made without departure from my invention. Hence no limitation is intended by the particular description given, except as may appear from the appended claims. Any means for producing movement of air through the tubes may be employed in connection with the timeregulator for controlling the periods of closing of the admission-valves, whether said valves be to admit compressed air or air of atmospheric pressure to the tubes.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a pneumatic conveyer, the combination of a distributing-tube, a collecting-tube connected with the distributing-tube near the delivery end of the same, a despatching-door for said collecting-tube, an air-admission valve on the distributing-tube connected with said door,

means for controlling the period of closing the said air-admission valve, an inwardly-seating valve at the delivery end of said distributingtubes and means for applying suction to said collecting-tube near its delivery end.

2. In a pneumatic conveyer,the combination of a distributing-tube, a collecting-tube provided with a despatching-station, means for applying pressure to said distributing-tube, and suction to said collecting-tube, valves controlling the flow of air into and through said tubes, a pipe connecting said distributing-tube near its delivery end with said collecting-tube, and an inwardly-seating valve inthe delivery end of said last-named distributing-tube beyond or outside of said connecting-pipe.

3. In a pneumatic carrying system, the combination of a plenum side, a vacuum side, mechanism for maintaining the pressure on both sides, and an automatic governing device operatively connected with one side of said system and operated by variations in pressure on the side with which it is connected and arranged to control said pressure supplying mechanism whereby theoperation of the latter is accelerated whenever the pressure which operates the governing device falls below a determined point.

4:. In a pneumatic carrying system, the combination of a plenum side, a vacuum side, a blower having its inlet connected with the vacuum side, and its outlet discharging into the plenum side, a motor actuating said blower, a governor controlling said motor, and a pressure-actuated governor connected with one side of the system and adapted to act upon the motor-controlling governor.

5. In a pneumatic conveyer system, the combination of a distributing-tube, a collectingtube, a blowerhaving its outlet and inlet sides respectively connected with said distributing and collecting tubes, a connecting-passage between said collecting and distributing tubes at a point remote from the blower, and means vfor passing carriers through either side of said system. 7

6. In a pneumatic conveyer system, the combination of a distributing-tube, a collectingtube, a blower having its outlet and inlet sides respectively connected with said distributing and collecting tubes, a connecting-passage be ITO tween said collecting and distributing tubes at In testimony that I claim the foregoing as a point remote from the blower, and means my invention I afliX my signature, in presence I for passing carriers through either side of said of two witnesses, this 2d day of June, A. D. system, a motor driving said blower and an 1900. 5 automatic governor controlling said motor and MELVIN J. FOYER operatively connected with one side of said Witnesses: 1 system, whereby variations in pressure oper- C. CLARENCE PooLE,

ate to control the speed of the motor. WILLIAM L. HALL. 

